Adam Wilson sat out his sophomore season.

Todd Noel was not satisfied with his results of last year.

So the two Righetti High wrestlers made it a habit of training hard in the offseason, so their junior campaigns were more memorable ones.

Wilson, who is now fully recovered from bone cancer, far exceeded expectations when he got back on the mat, progressed during the season and came away with the PAC-5, CIF and Masters championships at 171 pounds.

“At first, it was just to get back on the mat and then I started setting goals for myself, league title, then CIF, then Masters and now state,” said Wilson, whose cancer of the humerus was surgically cleaned out and his arm rehabilitated. “I set the bar pretty high.”

Noel, who placed sixth at last year's CIF meet to fall one spot short of qualifying for Masters, worked on his grappling skills and improved so much he secured the 152-pound league title, placed third at CIF and then fifth at Masters to qualify for this weekend's CIF State Championships in Bakersfield.

“Last year he took sixth at CIF and they only take top five. What it did was totally focus him,” said Righetti coach Dutch Van Patten of Noel. “He is mentally one of the toughest kids I've ever coached.”

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The two wrestlers left for Bakersfield at 12:30 p.m. Thursday with competition beginning on Friday morning and running into Saturday night. Last season, Dustin Monte was the only Warriors' grappler to reach the state meet and he placed seventh.

Both Wilson and Noel now have a shot at becoming only the second wrestler in school history to win a state championship. The first and only Righetti state title-holder is Ray Martinez, who accomplished the feat in 1977.

“The thing that impresses me about both of these two young men and the reason I think they'll both do well is even though both know they'll be at the state meet neither one is satisfied,” said Van Patten. “They've set goals to place at the state meet and I think that's what's going to happen if they wrestle to their ability.”

Wilson's Masters title was just the fourth for the Righetti High wrestling program, which produced the same results from Jaime Rocha in 2004, Andrew Domingues in 2002 and Curt Simmons in 1983.

“Just to put it into perspective, 497 schools have wrestling programs in the Southern Section. That means he took first out 497 schools,” said Van Patten. “When you can beat cancer. ... he has no fear. He even told me coach, ‘I beat cancer. These kids aren't going to beat me.'”

Wilson is making a return visit to the state tournament, where he finished with a 1-2 record as a freshman. Last season, however, Wilson's battle was not on the mat. It was with his bone cancer.

“It was traumatic,” said Adam's father, Gary Wilson. “We weren't even worried about (him returning to wrestling). It was all about saving the bone.”

Doctors gave the Wilsons two options. The first was to remove the bone and put in a prosthesis. The second - and the one they opted for - was cleaning out the cancer and saving the bone. That latter also came with the disclaimer that the cancer could return some day.

“We took the chance. We feel real good about it,” said Gary Wilson. “We've been blessed. God's hands were in on it. We're not even looking back.”

Neither is Adam - whose eye is on the ultimate prize of a state championship.

“I'd be satisfied placing at the state tournament. Well, you can look back on it and be happy later on,” said Wilson. But on second thought, “I wouldn't be satisfied if I didn't win it because I want to win it.”

At the Masters meet inside the Fountain Valley High School gymnasium, Wilson trailed by two points in the second period of his championship bout against Parker Barber of Redlands. Then the Righetti Warrior scored a reversal that not only tied the match but put Barber on his back.

“The minute he caught that kid on his back I was like don't let him up, finish it,” said Van Patten.

He did, registering a pin to claim the Masters weight class crown.

“I just got him in a front headlock,” said Wilson. “I had him on his back pretty good so I knew I was in good shape from there.”

Also in Wilson's corner was his father who is also an assistant wrestling coach at Righetti High.

“I've been on the mat with him since he's been a pup. It's always exciting. ... especially something prestigious like that,” said Gary Wilson. “I enjoy every minute of it. It's just enjoyable watching him, especially coming back from that little fight. It's all fun and worth every minute of it.”

While Wilson was undefeated at the Masters, Noel had a bit of a different path to state qualification - finished with a 5-2 record in seven matches.

Noel reached the semifinals before losing to the eventual champion George Munoz of West Covina, pushing him into the wrestleback rounds. He then reached the consolation semifinals and dropped a close one-point match before claiming fifth place.

“When he loses, he puts it behind him,” said Van Patten of Noel. “He's tough. He's technically one of the best wrestlers I've ever had.”

Noel and Wilson are now up against the top wrestlers in the entire state.

“Once you get to this level, every match is just a dogfight.” said Van Patten. “There's no such thing as an easy one.”

One thing is for sure, Noel and Wilson belong among the elite class of wrestlers. And both will be back for their senior campaigns next season.

“I just can't wait because I just want to get in there and get it over with,” said Wilson. “I'm going to have to just wrestle as hard as I can. You can't take anybody easy at this tournament, just take it one match at a time.”

March 3, 2006